Brown County jury scam is costing people hundreds

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - A warning not to fall for a jury scam hitting people in Brown County.

It’s an old scam where a caller tells people they missed jury duty and they’d better pay a fine or they’ll be arrested.

We first alerted you to this last week, but we’re hearing more people are falling for it. The Brown County Clerk of Courts says it’s an elaborate scam, and people are actually reporting to the sheriff’s office after losing hundreds of dollars.

Scammers posing as law enforcement are telling people they failed to appear for jury duty and need to turn themselves in at the Brown County Sheriff’s Office. Or, they can avoid arrest by paying with Bitcoin cryptocurrency. Last week, scammers were telling people to mail in their payment or give them numbers from prepaid gift cards.

“There is no situation where it would be necessary for jurors to send cash, gift cards or Bitcoin for missing jury service,” Clerk of Courts John VanderLeest says.

Scam callers can use technology to make it appear they’re calling from a Brown County government phone number or even display the sheriff’s office on your Caller ID -- it’s called “spoofing.”

It’s true that you should go to police -- to report the scam. If someone claiming to be a law enforcement officer demands payment over the phone, hang up, or get their information, then call the law enforcement agency or clerk of courts office directly. Do not provide the caller with any personal or financial information.

The county says jury service is one of the most important civic duties someone has. When you are called for service, you’ll receive a juror handbook that has detailed instructions on what to do. That’s what you need to follow.

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